In discussions of race, racism, and identity, Jewishness is a contested category. Particularly in the U.S., Jewish people are often considered white; they are framed as a religious group, rather than an ethnic one. However, this categorization can make antisemitism–and Jewish people themselves–invisible in both academic and popular discourses. Associate Professor of English Mara Lee Grayson's new book, Antisemitism and the White Supremacist Imaginary: Conflations and Contradictions in Composition and Rhetoric (Peter Lang, 2023), explores that erasure and its impact on Jewish scholars. As a Jewish woman, Grayson says the ideas within the book had been “percolating” within her for years, ... Read More
Faculty
Education is the Key for Black Resource Center Interim Director
For Trimaine Davis, the new interim director of the CSUDH Black Resource Center (BRC), education was his way out of a generational cycle of addiction and depression. Now, he dedicates himself to helping others find the same opportunities. “I really take this seriously and do what I can to make sure that the doors that were opened for me remain open for those who are falling behind,” he says. Davis has traveled a long, hard road to get to his current position at CSUDH. Born to a drug-addicted mother and absentee father, he was placed into foster care at birth. When he was five years old, Davis' paternal grandmother became his legal guardian, and he grew up with her in the hardscrabble East ... Read More
Toros Educate West Carson on Pollution Risks
Cynthia Babich, founder of the Del Amo Action Committee (DAAC), doesn't mince words when assessing the environmental hazards that have put residents of West Carson–predominantly low-income residents of color–at significant risk for decades. “We're choking here. We're absolutely choking,” Babich said during a recent community open house, referring to the findings of a DAAC health report on airborne contaminants. In fact, air pollution is just one of many environmental risks that residents face. The DAAC office stands just a few blocks south of the Del Amo Superfund Site. The office was founded in 1994 to inform residents about the high levels of soil and groundwater ... Read More
Asian & Pacific Cultural Center Opens Its Doors
After over a year of struggles and delays, the CSUDH Asian & Pacific Cultural Center (APCC) finally has a space to call its own. Located on the second floor of Welch Hall, in the offices formerly occupied by Financial Aid, the center is open to all Toro students, although its primary focus is on supporting the success of Asian and Pacific Islander students at the university. The APCC was established in Fall 2021, in response to student requests for an API-focused resource center. Inaugural program director Nathan Nguyen was hired in October 2021, and spent over a year working with administrators to secure a home for the center. “When I came on board, I assumed it would maybe take a ... Read More
Toro Women Advance to Elite Eight
The top-seeded CSUDH women's basketball team stormed their way into the NCAA Elite Eight with a dominant 73-51 win over Cal State San Marcos in the final of the West Regional Championship. The Toros won behind a stifling defense effort, holding San Marcos to just six points in a pivotal second quarter. It is the Toros' first-ever trip to the Elite Eight, where they will start play as the third seeded team. They will play sixth-seeded Catawba College of North Carolina on Monday, March 20, at 10 AM PST. The winner will advance to the Final Four on Wednesday. Against San Marcos, the Toros were led by NCAA West Region Most Outstanding Player Asia Jordan, who led all scorers with 19 points ... Read More
